Among the most eagerly awaited TV series of the summer 2026 is undoubtedly the reboot of Little House on the Prairie. Inspired by the life and semi-autobiographical novels of the writer and pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder, this Netflix original, available on the platform starting from July 9, pays homage to one of the most beloved and most-watched TV series of all time: the 1970s series created by Michael Landon, which to date spans nine seasons, more than two hundred episodes, and an indeterminate number of reruns (with a bit of luck you can still catch an episode of The Little House on the Prairie on TV).
Compared to the original, the cast, the narrative approach, and — somewhat surprisingly — even the locations of Little House on the Prairie are different: let’s discover together where it is set.
What it’s about
In the first season of Little House on the Prairie, the Ingalls family travels to Independence, in Arkansas, at the far western edge of the United States. Directly from the protagonist’s voice, Laura (Alice Halsey), we glimpse the hopes that drive the pioneers, but also the countless challenges they must endure as they pursue the dream of a new home.
Fires, wolves, and mysterious fevers are just a few of the unforeseen events Laura, Ma (Crosby Fitzgerlad), Pa (Luke Bracey), Mary (Skywalker Hughes), and their loyal dog Jack must face, while alongside them an Osage family — a real novelty of the Netflix reboot of Little House on the Prairie — reveals the other side of the coin, namely how the arrival of settlers disrupted the lives of the Native populations.
Where the series was filmed
The production of the new Netflix series did not return to the places associated with Laura Ingalls Wilder as Michael Landon did in the past. The choice fell on Minnesota, and specifically the Walnut Grove community on the banks of Plum Creek, which was the first settlement west of the Ingalls family. As a set for Little House on the Prairie, a zone was chosen that is strategically valuable from a logistical standpoint and for film facilities, yet no less interesting from a naturalistic point of view: the Canadian Prairies.
The Province of Manitoba and the Canadian Prairies
Among the locations where the Little House on the Prairie reboot was filmed, Manitoba stands out in particular: a Canadian province in the central-west of the country, famous for its vast wheat fields, maple forests, broad prairies, lakes, and national parks among the most important in the entire nation, as well as expansive open spaces where you can spot bears, lynx, and other wildlife typical of the area.
Beyond the classic tourist routes, the region of the Canadian Prairies is, in short, an excellent destination — also reachable by train, thanks to some of the most spectacular rail lines in Canada — for reconnecting with nature and embracing a slower pace of life, and, to the nostalgia enthusiasts, one that feels closer to how things used to be.
There are corners where time seems literally to have stood still. This is the case in Cooks Creek, a rural community in the Springfield Municipality that appears on the locations as if from pioneer times: a place where life still centers around the two churches and the town hall.
Winnipeg
Life in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, moves at a more vibrant pace where several scenes of the new series were filmed. It is not immediately obvious that out of the emptiness of the Canadian Prairies a city so lively and modern could suddenly rise, well known abroad, for example, for its interesting music scene and for the wide variety of venues offering live music of every kind.
Must-see stops in the city include the historic market, The Forks, where you can taste local dishes (corn, pumpkin, and berries are among the key ingredients) and buy regional products and Indigenous crafts, and the Exchange District, where you can explore the city’s history and the entire province, starting from its French-speaking origins.
Outdoor enthusiasts should not miss the chance to fish for large channel catfish in the Red River that runs through the city (the biggest specimens can weigh up to ten kilograms), or in autumn to admire the colors of the foliage among the prairies and woodlands that surround the town. From Winnipeg it’s easy to reach some of Canada’s most important national parks and nature reserves where, with a bit of luck, you might spot a polar bear.
